A government-commissioned report into the future of the UK’s oil and gas industry has recommended the creation of a new industry-funded arms-length regulatory body with powers similar to those seen in Norway and the Netherlands. The…
Ireland’s next Atlantic Margin oil and gas exploration licensing round is to be announced following a review of the country’s oil and gas fiscal terms, due to be completed early 2014, the country’s government has announced. The round is scheduled to open in April 2014…
Statoil has made an oil discovery on the Snilehorn prospect in Norwegian Sea. Oil was found in discovery well 6407/8-6 and sidetrack 6407/8-6A. Image: The West Navigator drillship, which has started drilling on the Novus prospect…
Noble Energy Inc. has started a 3D seismic survey over its licence areas to the south and east of the Falkland Islands using the PGS Ramform Titan. The survey, the third to be acquired in the area this year, could take up to four months…
The latest appraisal well on the giant Johan Sverdrup field in the Norwegian North Sea found a deeper reservoir thickness than expected, said operator Lundin Petroleum AB (Lundin Petroleum). Appraisal well 16/3-7, located in the south-eastern part of PL501…
Statoil has started production from the Visund North oil and gas field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The total recoverable reserves are estimated at 29MM boe and the total investment for the field development is NOK3.3 billion…
Ocean Rig and Energean Oil & Gas are to join forces in order to participate in new bid rounds for exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons, in Greece and abroad, in more than 1000m deep water. Energean said the companies had agreed to set up a joint venture called OceanEnergean…
Arnaud Breuillac has been appointed president, exploration and production at Total, effective January 1. He will report to Yves Louis Darricarrère, upstream president and member of Total’s executive committee. Yves-Louis Darricarrère was appointed president…
Statoil has agreed to farm down its interest in five exploration licences in the Faroe Islands and two in Norway to the Austrian oil and gas company OMV. The agreement is a result of a broader agreement with OMV, announced in August, to look for cooperation in exploration opportunities…
Australia’s Pura Vida has agreed a farm-in deal giving it a 50% stake in the Ambilobe area office Madagascar, east Africa. The firm has also finalized a farm-out deal offshore Morocco. Pura Vida will take a 50% stake in the Ambilobe block…
A partnership between companies is a lot like a marriage: some are good, some are strained. That was the tenor of a Wednesday morning panel discussing perspectives on E&P in the South Atlantic that included operators Petrobras, Total, Shell…
Cobalt International Energy has made two discoveries at its Lontra #1 and Mavinga #1 deepwater Pre-salt exploratory wells offshore Angola. On Block 20, the Lontra #1 well confirmed an oil and gas discovery. Further evaluation, including a drill stem test…
A framework agreement to supply drilling, wells and petroleum technology resources has been awarded to OPC by Statoil ASA. Starting in January 2014, the five year contract runs until 2018, and has options to extend until 2023. The…
A wildcat well drilled 5km northwest of the recent Wisting Central oil discovery in the Barents Sea has been classified as dry, says the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. The latest well, 7324/7-1 S, known as Wisting Alternative, is in production…
Wintershall Norge AS completed drilling wildcat wells 16/1-19 S and 16/1-20 A in production licence 457 about 2.5km from appraisal wells 16/1-16 and 16/1-16 A at the Ivar Aasen field in the Norwegian North Sea. The primary target for…